Spectacular interiors of rediscovered Orient Express carriages revealed
For years, several vintage Orient Express train carriages lay, forgotten, at a small railway station on the border between Poland and Belarus called Malaszwewicze.One day in 2015, French railway fan Arthur Mettetal spotted the distinctive blue carriages in a YouTube video, kickstarting a journey across Europe to track down the lost trains.Hospitality group Accor purchased the rediscovered carriages and enlisted Parisian architect Maxime d'Angeac to meticulously restore them, ready for operation on a Paris to Istanbul rail route that's set to operate from 2024.The first glimpse of the renovated interiors suggest a glamorous travel experience combining Art Deco glamor with modern luxury.
While the long-distance, trans-Europe Orient Express train immortalized by crime author Agatha Christie no longer exists, the name lives on, still synonymous with old fashioned glamor.Luxury travel company Belmond operates an Orient Express homage between London and Amsterdam, and Accor – as well as having grand plans for the rediscovered Malaszwewicze carriages – is also launching an Italy-based Orient Express service in 2023.
When Mettetal first peeked inside the carriages at Malaszwewicze station, he was struck by the fact that, while they hadn't been used for at least a decade, there was "almost no damage, just the wear and tear of time."
"All the decorations were intact and it was as if time had stood still," Mettetal told CNN Travel in July. The interiors included Art Deco marquetry panels by English decorators Morrison and Nelson, as well as glass panels by French craftsman René Lalique.While the carriages were pretty well-preserved, it was clear to the team at Accor that a conscientious restoration was in order before the cars could return to the rails. That's when d'Angeac stepped in.
